Which Jobs Need a Health Insurance the Most? Is Yours Included?

Jobs are not created equal. Some are more stressful and riskier than the others. Here is a list of professions that put their health and their very lives at risk. The thing is while there are many insurance companies, the employers and the employed themselves (although not all) do not prioritize having an insurance

1) Construction workers

Including foremen, machine operators, helpers and construction trades

These are the people who are directly involved in building, repairing, renovating and demolishing a building or a house. The nature of these jobs is highly risky and hence the workers are a constant candidate for injuries and thus hospitalization. Aside from occupational-related accidents, construction workers are consistently exposed to industrial wastes which may eventually take a toll on their health.

2) Firefighters

For obvious reasons, getting into a burning house or building is a very dangerous undertaking. Other than heat stress and structural collapses, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer have long been associated with firefighting. Not to mention the stress that firefighters subject themselves into being on call for emergencies 24/7. Firefighters are often deprived of sleep and good eating habits.

3) Drivers

Regardless of which vehicle you are manipulating, there remains the fact that the road is not a safe place to be in. Not just the other drivers, there are many factors that may complicate the already dangerous circumstances that drivers face. Other than accidents and road rage, the weather is not also doing drivers any good.

4) Soldiers

Including policemen

Aside from protecting your nation and fellowmen, there are inherent dangers to being a soldier. Once they are assigned elsewhere and away from their respective families, these soldiers may suffer from psychological stress and even war shock. This is more damaging than any physical damage.

5) Sailors

Including marine engineers, seafarers and crew members

This occupational group spends much of their lives on seas. While there, they are facing dangerous, cramped, noisy and stark working conditions. Whatever their purpose may be, social isolation impacts the wellbeing of any sailor.

6) Pilots

Including flight engineers and crew members

Pilots and flight engineers, among others, are well-compensated due to the inherent dangers of their job. However, no money can actually compensate the level of stress that transferring a huge number of people from one destination to another. Also, the sky is no longer safe considering the existence of man-made dangers such as terrorism.

7) Fishermen

Including fishing workers

Fishing is considered as one of the deadliest jobs in the world. In fact, in the US, the profession has the highest fatality rate with 127.3 per 100,000 fishers. The dangers that fishermen face include the inclement weather as well as malfunctioning devices.

8) Health practitioners

Taking good care of other individual’s health is stressful enough. However, this is not the only thing that may endanger the life of a doctor or nurse. The constant exposure to various illnesses especially communicable diseases also affect the quality of health of the practitioners.

9) Call center agents

Taking at least 50 phone calls every day is not an easy job. Let alone, take these calls in the wee hours of the morning. Thus, agents are deprived of sleep as they work for longer hours than usual. Aside from the not-so-usual lifestyle, they lack physical activities.

10) Office workers

Office workers, too, lack the needed amount of physical activities as they sit all day on their desk. The quasi-sedentary lifestyle can lead to different health issues such as obesity, high blood, and diabetes. Unfortunately, we do not immediately see the effects of the office lifestyle until we start to feel the symptoms.

11) Garbage collectors

Waste collectors do not get match credit in the maintenance of cleanliness and order in our society. Another sad truth, these workers are consistently putting their health on the line more so without the proper gears and devices to use as they collect waste materials from house to house.

12) Carpenters

Including roofers

Carpentry is an injury-prone profession. Falls and fractures are very common among these workers. The work involved is also physically demanding.

13) Iron and steel workers

Structural irons and steel beams are manipulated using machines, and these machines malfunction at times. Machine-related injuries are a commonplace in this industry as well.

14) Farmers

Farming is one of the oldest professions. However, even the technological innovations are doing very little in protecting the farmers and other farm workers. These people are working for long hours with consistent contact with heavy machines and equipment. These are the common sources of injuries among farmers.

15) Miners

Aside from the nature of the job itself, the mining areas are not very conducive for its workers. There are hazards involved wherein thousands of miners die due to mining accidents. Some reasons are gas leaks, mine stope collapse, and mining-caused seismicity. There are also mechanical errors and malfunctioning equipment.

No one ever wants occupational injuries to happen, but they happen. Some of us might think that getting a life and accident insurance is out of the question, but it should not be. Getting covered might cost a bit more, but in the end, it is always worth it.